Respiration Notes
Respiration is the process by which the body burns food.
The respiratory system has three major parts. They are the airways, the lungs, and the muscles (most vital: the diaphragm.)
The airways include the nose, mouth, pharynx, larynx, trachea, bronchi, and bronchioles.
1. Air is drawn into the body (inhaled) where it's cleaned, moistened, and warmed in the nose by cilia.
2. It travels down the windpipe (trachea) into the lungs.
3. It takes path through one of the two bronchi, then one of the many bronchioles to the Alveoli (Air sacs.)
4. Blood carries the oxygen to the cell that needs it to burn food.
5. Blood carries Carbon dioxide (CO2) back where it is expelled
when you exhale.
There are only two Bronchi (one is a Bronchus.) but as many as 30,000 bronchioles in each lung.
Alveoli are air sacs that resemble a bunch of grapes at the end of the
bronchioles which release oxygen (O2) into the capilaries that surround them.
You will breathe 12,000 - 15,000 times per day, or roughly 4 - 5
million times per year!
Your heart beats about 100,000 times in a day or about 35 million
times in a year!
Your heartbeat may be felt on the underside of your wrist or low on
the front of your neck an inch or so on either side of your trachea
Count your heartbeats in 15 seconds. Multiple by four to find your
pulse which is about 90 - 120 beats for a kid!
As you exercise, your heart will beat faster as you'll need to breathe
more often.
Smoking causes many health problems.
It causes respiratory problems like lung cancer and emphysema.
Smoking can also cause an increased risk of heart disease because
the heart has to beat faster to get oxygen from the lungs.